Patronage, Psychology and Performance of the Public Enterprises’ Sector: A Case of Zimbabwe.

Abstract

This is an investigation of the effects of patronage appointments on the performance of the Zimbabwean state enterprises and parastatals (SEPs) sector. Arguably, over the years, patronage has generally attracted extensive research since the enactment of the Pendleton Act of 1883 in the United States of America. Nonetheless, it remains a very controversial issue in the semi-public sector. Consequently, there is a dearth of research on the relationship between patronage and SEPs performance. Suffice it to note that the Zimbabwean SEPs sector has had three (3) decades of poor performance, prompting several studies on the sector. The study is a qualitative research initiative based on primary data obtained through interviews of purposively identified key informants and secondary data comprising published studies, official government reports, and newspaper articles. The study advances the argument that patronage is a necessary evil, and studies of patronage appointments should focus on the management of the phenomenon as opposed to its eradication. The results reveal that patronage is indeed present in the Zimbabwean SEPs sector and that if not well managed it has severe ramifications for the performance of the sector. The study concludes that no amount of demonization of the phenomenon works but managing it transparently and objectively may produce positive results.